plume

In 2015, scientists released pink dye off California to mimic pollution; waves drove it nearly 8 miles a day, carrying the plume toward San Diego Bay

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Researchers used bright pink dye as a stand-in for pollution in a 2015 coastal experiment. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Imagine a beach where the waves suddenly turn bright pink. In 2015, scientists made that happen on purpose off Southern California. According to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, researchers conducted three experiments near Imperial Beach, releasing non-toxic, bright pink fluorescent dye to see how it moved along the coast. The dye was used to simulate pollution. … Read more

A methane leak in the South China Sea formed a plume over 1km high; but bacteria and worms built a ‘worm bed’ within two years shocking scientists and theories

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A methane leak in the South China Sea formed a plume over 1km high; but bacteria and worms built a 'worm bed' within two years shocking scientists and theories

There is a vast amount of methane trapped beneath the seafloor, across the planet. If it were to be released, the results could be potentially catastrophic for all forms of life. This is why finding out how ecosystems respond to methane leaks is important to ocean scientists. Generally, these investigations take place on purpose in … Read more

In 2017, USGS released 72.57 kg of red dye into Idaho’s Kootenai River in 90 seconds; aircraft 1,000 metres above mapped the plume in 0.5-metre pixels to study river dispersion

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In 2017, USGS released 72.57 kg of red dye into Idaho’s Kootenai River in 90 seconds; aircraft 1,000 metres above mapped the plume in 0.5-metre pixels to study river dispersion

An aircraft followed the plume from above (Representational AI image) In September 2017, the US Geological Survey (USGS) carried out an unusual experiment on Idaho’s Kootenai River. Researchers released 72.57 kg (160 pounds) of Rhodamine WT dye into the river and then followed its movement through the water. The aim was to understand how a … Read more